Cinderella
by Eternity1
Summary: Maria is comforted after Michael doesn't bother to show up on an important night...


Title: Cinderellabr  
Author: Eternitybr  
Rating : G/PGbr  
Spoilers : Nonebr  
Summary: Alex comforts Maria when Michael deserts her.br  
Disclaimer: I dont own the characters in the story, I dont claim to, please don't sue me, all you'll get is some cds, maybe some lint.br  
Author's Note : I would like to thank my beta readers, Lizabel, and Aphid : )p  
  
Maria walked quietly down the empty streets of Roswell. Her usual sparkling, bubbly attitude was subdued and a sad frown was in place   
of her lovely smile. She had just been to Michael's apartment, her hair   
pulled up and back and teased to perfection, her makeup   
and shoes carefully chosen to match her outfit. She had been   
ecstatic, everything was working out just the way she had planned. Her dress   
was perfect, not to gaudy, not to conservative, just perfect. The plans were   
carefully drawn, the reservations made... So she had driven over to his   
apartment, knocked on his door, practically jumping up and down with   
excitement, finally she would have her perfect night. There was no answer   
though, and no answer to the knock after that, or the one after that, or the   
pounding on his door, not to her yelling for him to please open up, to   
please God be there, to please don't do this to me, not tonight. After that   
she had waited for close to two hours, her hope diminishing with every moment that passed until   
finally she stood up from her sitting vigil on the creaky, old wooden stoop outside his door.p  
  
She walked slowly out of the building, stepping past her car,   
arms held protectively around her. I can't believe he forgot, she thought,   
I've been reminding him for months. December 20, Michael. Just be home and   
dressed nicely and I'll do everything else. All you have to do is be ready,   
please Michael don't forget this is really important to me. He had promised   
he would remember, said he marked it on his calendar, in bright red letters.   
Maria's Birthday, be ready at 8:00. She should have known better, she should   
have known. This was destined to be the worst day of her life, for the rest   
of her life. Her birthday, the first mishap had been the very first one,   
when she  
was born, she thought bitterly. Then on her 6th birthday her father had   
left... and after that her mother hadn't even wanted to   
acknowledge the day, it was no longer her daughter's birthday but the day   
her husband had left her.p  
  
She had really thought though, thought that tonight would be it, would be   
that one special night she had always dreamed of, always waited for. She would have the most beautiful   
dress, dine at a wonderful restaurant, and someone to be with her,   
someone that really cared for her. Tears coursed down her cheeks   
like droplets of sorrow, and she didn't care if her make-up was smearing, if   
she looked like an army commando with black around her eyes. Her foot caught   
on a loose stone along the sidewalk and she stumbled, grabbing onto a   
parking meter for support. A sharp burning twist shot up her leg and she let   
out a frustrated sob. She stood herself upright and tried to take a small   
step on the ankle, that's when she noticed the heel on her shoe, her perfect   
Cinderella shoe, it was no longer attached. She not so gently took   
the shoe off her foot, ignoring the pain and threw it down the street.   
Luckily it landed harmlessly on the side of the walkway, she didn't   
need to deal with a cracked window on top of everything. She was about to   
just fall to the ground and cry, cry like a baby which was so not like   
herself, when she heard her name being called. Oh damn, she thought. I do   
not need this, please, please just move on. p  
  
"Maria?" She recognized that voice, Alex. She tried to wipe away the smears   
under her eyes, only making them worse.p  
  
"Hey Alex," she said softly, not turning around to look at him.p  
  
"What's wrong? I thought you were supposed to be out tonight," he asked in   
confusion. Her face crumpled for a moment at his statement but she quickly   
recomposed herself.p  
  
"There was a change of plans I guess," she answered and she could hear Alex   
coming around in front of her, then a gentle pressure on her chin raising   
her face up to his. His eyes were full of sorrow when they met with hers,   
sorrow and compassion, but no pity, she wouldn't have been able to bear   
that.p  
  
"And let me guess, he didn't tell you." Alex said gently. Maria shook her   
head, more tears welling up in her already moist eyes. Alex saw this and   
quickly used the end of his sleeve to wipe them away. Then he put it over   
her nose, "Blow," he instructed. Maria didn't even hesitate to follow his  
directions, this was Alex, Alex who has always been there for her, always   
been there to pick her up when someone else had let her fall.p  
  
"I just, I thought it would be different." Maria whispered. "I really   
thought it would be different this time," she whispered, eyes unfocused,   
staring off to the side.p  
  
"I know you did," he whispered, and Maria could hear the sadness in his   
voice, along with an underlying stream anger. An absolute and total rage, that to   
her knowing ears almost covered up the sadness. "Do you want me to take you   
home?" He asked her gently, his normal tone of voice back again, that utter   
rage gone as quickly as it had come.p  
  
"Yeah..." Maria said and Alex let her lean on him as he led her towards his   
parents car that she saw was pulled up haphazardly against the curb. He   
helped her into the car and gently buckled her seat belt, making sure she   
was comfortable. He drove slowly and carefully, with the music down low,   
letting her come down at her own speed from her heightened emotional   
state. Crying was completely exhausting he knew, and she had obviously done   
a lot of it. When they reached her home he helped her out of the car and   
half-carried her up the steps, seeing how she limped on her shoeless foot.   
He hesitated at the door, and Maria sensed something in him she had never   
picked up from him before, in all their years of friendship. It was   
something in the air, something strong but not unpleasant and she pulled her   
keys out of her silky purse trying to understand what it was.p  
  
When she looked up to put the key in the door, it happened. Alex leaned down   
and pressed his mouth against hers, lightly and so softly, like he was   
afraid to break her, he held it for a moment, long enough for Maria to feel   
the comforting warmth spread through her body and then he released her. He   
kissed her once more, on the forehead this time, not looking her in the   
eyes.p  
  
"Happy Birthday Maria," he whispered before dashing down the steps to his   
car. Stunned  
Maria watched him go and touched her lips carefully with her fingers.  
Her eyes filled with tears once more, but this time in awe  
of the gentle way he had held her, like something precious, something  
wonderful to be treasured. Then she wiped away her tears and opened the door, thinking that perhaps,   
perhaps part of her wish had indeed come true.p  
  
  
  
  



End file.
